Top roller assembly



Oct. 6, 1964 T. L. URQUHART 3,151,349

TOP ROLLER ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 2, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 52 5,0 9 F|G2- A 7 1 I mm L:

I I I INVHVTOR.

THORNTON L.URQUHART ATTORNEYS Oct. 6, 1964 T. L. URQUHART TOF ROLLER ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 2. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

THORNTON L.URQUHART ATTORNEYS 6, 1964 T. L. URQUHART 3,151,349

TOF ROLLER ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 2, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. THORNTON L. U RQUHART ATTO RNEYS United States Patent 3,151,349 TOP ROLLER ASSEMBLY Thornton L. Urquhart, Farmington, MiclL, assignor to Byrne Doors, Ina, Ferndale, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Nov. 2, 1961, Ser. No. 149,547 14 Claims. (Cl. 16-406) This invention relates generally to a top roller assembly for guiding the movement of a door between open and closed positions.

One object of the invention is to provide a top roller assembly for guiding the upper edge of a sliding type door, which is adapted to follow a track extending in the direction of door movement along the top of the door opening, and which has provision for automatically accommodating itself to differences in the distance between the top edge of the door and the track. The track may be carried by overhead structure of the cantilever type, for example, and hence its elevation may vary.

Another object is to provide a top roller assembly which can be readily removed from its track for repair or replacement.

Another object is to provide a top roller assembly comprising a roller housing, track engaging rollers, axles for the rollers, and fasteners for releasably mounting the axles on the housing, the fasteners being readily accessible to facilitate removal of the axles from the housing so that the roller assembly can be removed from the track.

Another object is to provide a top roller assembly having guide rollers for laterally guiding the same, with fasteners readily accessible from the underside of the assembly for releasably locking the roller shafts in position, whereby the shafts and rollers may be readily disassembled in order to facilitate repair or replacement.

Another object is to provide a top roller assembly having an arm beneath the housing to one end of which the door may be connected, and also having a releasable pivotal connection with the underside of the housing.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a semi-diagrammatic view illustrating a plurality of the top roller assemblies of my invention shown in use with sliding doors.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the roller assembly.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view thereof.

FIGURE 4 is a view partly in section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of a top roller assembly .of modified construction.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the top roller assembly shown in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is an end view of the roller assembly shown in FIGURES 5 and 6.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and especially to FIGURES 1-4 thereof, the top roller assembly is generally indicated by the reference character 10. In FIGURE 1, a plurality of doors or leaves 12 are shown supported on tracks 14 by rollers 16. The doors or leaves are flat and move back and forth in their own planes. The upper edges of the leaves 12 are supported and guided by a plurality of the top roller assemblies 10. Ordinarily two or more of the top roller assemblies are provided for guiding the upper edge of each door or leaf.

Above the top of the door opening there is provided a horizontal plate i3 carrying a pair of depending laterally spaced angles 20. The angles have horizontal flanges 22 projecting toward each other and upright flanges 24 connected to the horizontal plate 18 by angles 26. The

'to the longitudinal center are spaced from each other a distance such that the v rollers on one side of the assembly engage the track '22 of one angle 20 and the rollers on the other side there- 3,151,349 Patented Oct. 6, 1964 'ice flanges 22 of the angles 24 lie in the same plane and provide tracks for the rollers of the top roller assemblies. The flanges or tracks 22 extend parallel to each other in the direction of movement of the leaves along the top of the opening controlled by the leaves. As seen in FIG- URE 4, the adjacent edges of the tracks 22 are separated by a sufiicient distance to provide a space for the portions of the top'roller assemblies which extend beneath the tracks.

Each top roller assembly is of the same construction and includes a roller housing 30 composed of thevertically spaced, parallel, upper and lower flat plates 32 and .34. The plates 32 and 34 are of the same outline and are held together in ribs 36.

Removable axles 38 and 40 are provided at each end of the roller housing. The axles are parallel to one another and extend at right angles to the longitudinal permanent fixed relation by the center line of the roller housing. As shown, the axles connecting the axles to the top and bottom plates of the housing. Bolts 46 extend vertically through the top and bottom plates and through the axles. Nuts 48 threaded on the lower ends of the bolt shanks which project beneath the bottom plate serve to releasably secure the axles in the illustrated position. The nutand bolt assemblies 46, 48 are readily accessible both from beneath and from the ends of the roller housing'so that the axles may be readily assembled or disassembled with respect to the housing;

The axles 38 and 40 are provided with reduced spindle end portions 50, and rollers 52 are secured on the spin- "dles 50 by retainers 54.

The spindles 5t} of each axle of course have a common axis andare at right angles line of the housing. The rollers of engage the track 22 of the other angle 26. The plate "18 lies close above rollers 52 to retain them on the tracks.

Provision is made for laterally guiding the top roller assemblies. The means for accomplishing this includes the horizontal rollers 56 supported between the top and bottom plates 32 and 34 by shafts 58 which are parallel to each other and at right angles to the axles'38 and 40. The shafts 53 are arranged in pairs/two adjacent either end of the housing. The shafts are 'located between the axles 38 and 40, and the shafts of each pair are spaced equal distances on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the housing. The rollers 56 are freely rotatable on the shafts "and their peripheries project beyond the side edges 60 of the housing plates for engagement with the upright flanges24 of the angles 20. v

The shafts 58 are freely" vertically slidable in aligned apertures in the top and bottom plates 32 and 34 and are locked in position by the keeper bars 62. Y The keeper bars extend into notches 63 in the sides of the shafts to prevent them from moving longitudinally with respect to the housing and hence to lock them in position. The keeper bars are releasably secured to the underside of the bottom plate 34 'by bolts 66. The bolts 66, being on the underside of the housing, are readily accessible and can be removed to similarly remove the keeper bar c9 and release the shaft so that it can be removed from the housing by sliding in either direction of its length.

Beneath the housing and permanently secured to the underside of the bottom plate 34 is a pair of brackets 70 which have spaced depending flanges 72. A bracket 74 is positioned between the flanges 72 and secured thereto by the bolts 76 and nuts 78 threaded on the ends of the bolts. Hence the bracket 74 may be readily assembled and disassembled by means of the nut and bolt assemblies 76, 78 which are beneath the top roller assemblies for ready access.

The bracket 74 has a pair of depending legs 79, and a pin 80 parallel to axles 38, 40 connects the legs. An arm 82 is pivoted at one end to the pin 80, and the other end of the arm is carried by a pin 84 on the bracket 86. The bracket 86 is secured to the top edge 88 of a door or leaf 12 by the releasable nuts 89 and bolts 90.

Difficulty in the past has been experienced with top roller assemblies due to the fact that they are diflicult to repair or replace. For example, if a roller bearing should wear out, it is very difficult to remove the top roller assembly from its tracks, or to remove the roller axle, for repair purposes. However, the top roller assembly of this invention can be readily taken from the track by first removing the axles 38 and 40. This can be done by manipulation of the nut and bolt assemblies 46, 48 which are accessible from the end-s of the roller housing and also from underneath. The rollers and axles can then be removed from the housing and lowered through the space between the tracks 22. The rollers 56 can also easily be removed by releasing the keeper bars 62, removing the shafts and then withdrawing the rollers from the space between the upper and lower plates of the housing. First of course one axle or the other will be removed. After removal of the axles 38 and 40, and rollers 52 and 56, the housing itself can be cocked and lowered through the space be tween the tracks.

The arm 82 may also be removed from the top roller assembly, by manipulation of the nut and bolt assemblies 76, 78 to release the bracket 74.

The horizontal plate 18 carrying the tracks 22 may be supported from structure of the building which is out of level or which varies in elevation due to changing weather conditions. Such structure may be of the cantilever type, for example. However, changes in the elevation of the tracks 22, and hence of the roller assemblies 10, are compensated for by the pivoted arm 82.

FIGURES -7 illustrate a modification of the invention. The top roller assembly there shown is generally indicated at 100 and includes a roller housing 102 which is made up of the identical top and bottom plates 104 and 106. The plates are rigidly secured together by the side flanges 108. Along the top surface of each plate 104 are the parallel upright flanges 110 which extend at right angles to the longitudinal center line of the housing. Removably secured to the remote surfaces of the flanges 110 are the axles 112 and 114 which are parallel to each other, of rectangular cross-section throughout the main portion of their length and at right angles to the longitudinal center line of the housing. The axles are secured to the flanges 110 by the nuts 116 and bolts 118. Hence the axles can be very easily removed because the nut and bolt assemblies 116, 118 are readily accessible from the ends of the roller assembly.

The axles 112 and 114 are provided on either end with reduced spindle portions 122, and the axes of the spindle portions of each axle are parallel and extend at right angles to the longitudinal center line of the assembly. Rollers 124 are rotatably mounted on the spindle portions and secured thereon by keepers 126. The rollers 124 are spaced apart appropriate distances such that they will engage the tracks 130 which, as in the first embodiment, extend along the top of the door opening parallel to the direction of movement of the door. The

tracks are in the same horizontal plane and spaced from each other to clear the portions of the roller assembly which depend beneath the tracks. The tracks are supported from the structure of the building along the top of the door opening, as by a plate, not shown, similar to the plate 18 in the first embodiment.

Members 132, secured to tracks 130, have flanges 134 which extend throughout the length of the tracks to provide a lateral guide for the assembly. Coacting with the guide provided by flanges 134 are the horizontal rollers 140. These rollers, two in number, are disposed between the plates 104 and 106 of the housing and are rotatable on shafts 142 which are located near the ends of the housing and disposed in parallel relation to each other at right angles to the axles. The shafts 142 are on the longitudinal center line of the housing and are freely slidable in .aligned apertures in the top and bottom housing plates. The shafts have notches 144 beneath the bottom plate, and keeper bars 146 extend into the notches to lock the shafts against movement. The keeper bars 146 are secured to the underside of the plate 106 by bolts 147. Bolts 147 are readily accessible from the underside of the roller housing and may be removed to remove the keeper bar and thereby permit the shafts to be taken from the housing apertures in either direction.

The side flanges 108 have downward extensions 150 and a transverse pin 152 is welded to the extensions. The pin is parallel to the axles 112 and 114. The upper end of the arm is pivoted on the pin, and the lower end is pivoted on pin 162 carried by the bracket 164 removably secured to the upper edge 188 of the door 12 by bolts 166 and nuts 168.

Hold-down plates 170 in the form of angles are secured to the outer sides of the side flanges 108 in position to underlie the lower edges of flanges 134 and thereby retain the rollers 124 on the tracks 130.

The axles 112 and 114 can be readily removed by manipulation of the nuts and bolts 116, 118 which are readily accessible from the ends of the roller assembly. The rollers 140 and their shafts can also be readily removed by first removing the keeper bars 146, through manipulation of bolts 147. This is accomplished readily from underneath the roller assembly. Removal of the axles 112 and 114 permits the roller housing to be lowered through the space between the tracks.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A toproller assembly for guiding the movement of a door comprising a roller housing, rollers mounted on said housing for rotation about parallel axes to support said roller assembly for movement on a track extending in the direction of door movement, means on said housing cooperable with a guide to laterally guide said roller assembly, said means including guide rollers, shafts supporting said guide rollers for rotation about axes at right angles to the axes of said first-mentioned rollers, said shafts being freely slidable in apertures in said housing for ready assembly and disassembly, and keeper bars on the underside of said housing to releasably lock said shafts in assembled relation with said housing, an arm beneath said housing for attachment of one end thereof to the door, and means pivotally attaching the other end of said arm to said housing.

2. The top roller assembly defined in claim 1, wherein said housing includes top and bottom plates, said guide rollers are disposed between said plates in positions such that their peripheries project laterally beyond the edges of said plates for engagement with the guide aforesaid, and fasteners accessible from beneath said housing to releasably secure said keeper bars to the underside of said bottom plate.

3. The top roller assembly defined in claim 2, wherein flanges rigid with said top plate project upwardly therefrom, parallel axles are releasably secured to said flanges, and said first-mentioned rollers are supported on the ends of said axles.

4. The top roller assembly defined in claim 2, wherein parallel axles are disposed between and releasably secured to said plates, and said first-mentioned rollers are supported on the ends of said axles.

5. A top roller assembly for guiding the movement of a door comprising a roller housing having top and bottom plates, parallel axles extending transversely of said housing at the ends thereof and disposed between said plates, fasteners extending through said axles and plates for releasably securing said axles to said plates, said fasteners projecting beneath said bottom plate for ready access thereto, rollers on the ends of said axles engageable with a track extending in the direction of door movement to support said roller assembly for movement along the track, guide rollers between said plates, shafts extending between said plates at right angles to said axles and rotatably supporting said guide rollers between said axles in positions such that their peripheries project beyond the side edges of said plates for engagement with a guide to laterally guide said roller assembly, said shafts being freely slidable in apertures in said plates for ready assembly and disassembly, keeper bars on the underside of said bottom plate releasably locking said shafts in assembled relation, fasteners releasably securing said keeper bars to said bottom plate, said second-mentioned fasteners being readily accessible from the underside of said roller assembly, an arm beneath said housing for attachment of one end thereof to the door, a bracket on the underside of said bottom plate, fasteners readily accessible from the underside of said housing releasably securing said bracket to said bottom plate, and means pivotally connecting the other end of said arm to said bracket.

6. A top roller assembly for guiding the movement of a door comprising a roller housing having top and bottom plates, parallel flanges rigid with said top plate extending transversely of said housing and projecting upwardly from said top plate in spaced relation longitudinally of said housing, parallel axles above said top plate extending along said flanges at the remote sides thereof, fasteners accessible from the ends of said housing releasably securing said axles to said flanges, rollers on the ends of said axles engageable with a track extending in the direction of door movement to support said roller assembly for movement along the track, guide rollers between said plates, shafts extending between said plates at right angles to said axles and supporting said guide rollers in positions such that their peripheries project beyond the side edges of said plates for engagement with a guide to laterally guide said roller assembly, said shafts being freely slidable in apertures in said plates for ready assembly and disassembly, keeper bars on the underside of said bottom plate releasably locking said shafts in assembled relation, fasteners releasably securing said keeper bars to said bottom plate, said second-mentioned fasteners being readily accessible from the underside of said roller assembly, an arm beneath said housing for attachment of one end thereof to the door, and means pivotally connecting the other end of said arm to said housing.

7. A top roller assembly for guiding the movement of a door comprising a roller housing, longitudinally spaced parallel axles extending transversely of said housing, fasteners engaging said axles and said housing for releasably mounting said axles on said housing, said axles being mounted adjacent the ends of said housing and when released being capable of separation therefrom in a longitudinal direction with respect thereto, said fasteners extending beneath said housing for ready access thereto, rollers on the ends of said axles engageable with a track extending in the direction of door movement to support said roller assembly for movement along the track, means on said roller assembly cooperable with a guide for laterally guiding the same, an arm beneath said housing for attachment of one end thereof to the door, and means pivotally attaching the other end of said arm to said housing.

' 8. A top noller assembly for guiding the movement of a door comprising a roller housing, longitudinally spaced parallel axles extending transversely of said housing, fasteners engaging said axles and said housing for releasably mounting said axles on said housing, said axles being mounted on top of said housing adjacent the ends thereof and when released being capable of separation therefrom in a longitudinal direction with respect thereto, said fasteners being readily accessible from the ends of said housing, rollers on the ends of said axles engageable with a track extending in the direction of door movement to support said roller assembly for movement along the track, means on said roller assembly cooperable with a guide for laterally guiding the same, an arm beneath said housing for attachment of one end thereof to the door, and means pivotally attaching the other end of said arm to said housing.

9. A top roller assembly for guiding the movement of a door comprising a roller housing, longitudinally spaced parallel axles extending transversely of said housing, fasteners engaging said axles and said housing for releasably mounting said axles on said housing, rollers on the ends of said axles engageable with a track extending in the direction of door movement to support said roller assembly for movement along the track, means on said roller assembly cooperable with a guide for laterally guiding the same, said axles being mounted adjacent the ends of said housing and when released being capable of separation therefrom in a longitudinal direction, said fasteners being in positions enabling ready access thereto, and means on said housing adapted to be attached to the door.

10. A top roller assembly for guiding the movement of a door comprising a roller housing, longitudinally spaced parallel axles extending transversely of said housing, said axles being releasably mounted on said housing adjacent the ends thereof and when released being capable of separation from the housing in a longitudinal direction, rollers on the ends of said axles engageable with a track extending in the direction of door movement to support said roller assembly for movement along the track, means on said roller assembly cooperable with a guide for laterally guiding the same, and means on said housing adapted to be attached to the door.

11. A top roller assembly for guiding the movement of a door comprising a roller housing having top and bottom plates, parallel axles extending transversely of said housing adjacent the ends thereof and disposed between said plates, means for releasably securing said axles to said plates, said releasable securing means comprising vertical fasteners extending through said axles and said plates and projecting beneath said bottom plate for ready access thereto, rollers on the ends of said axles engageable with a track extending in the direction of door movement to support said roller assembly for movement along the track, means on said roller assembly cooperable with a guide for laterally guiding the same, an arm beneath said housing for attachment of one end thereof to the door, and means pivotally attaching the other end of said arm to said housing.

12. The roller assembly defined in claim 11, wherein said guiding means on said roller assembly includes guide rollers between said plates the peripheries of which project laterally beyond the sides of said plates for engagement with the aforesaid guide, and shafts rotatably supporting said guide rollers and extending between the housing plates at right angles to said axles.

13. The roller assembly defined in claim 12, wherein said shafts are freely slidable in apertures in said plates for ready assembly and disassembly, keeper bars on the underside of said bottom plate are provided to lock said shafts in assembled relation with said plates, and re- 7 8 leasable means accessible from the underside of said References Cited in the file of this patent housing secure said keeper bars in place.

14. The roller assembly defined in claim 13, wherein UNI TED STATES PATENTS the means for pivotally attaching the said other end of 2,633,088 g 1953 said arm to said housing includes a bracket, and releasable 5 2,664,593 Graig 5, 1954 means for securing said bracket to said bottom plate, 2,807,05 8 Morgan Sept. 24, 1957 

1. A TOP ROLLER ASSEMBLY FOR GUIDING THE MOVEMENT OF A DOOR COMPRISING A ROLLER HOUSING, ROLLERS MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING FOR ROTATION ABOUT PARALLEL AXES TO SUPPORT SAID ROLLER ASSEMBLY FOR MOVEMENT ON A TRACK EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF DOOR MOVEMENT, MEANS ON SAID HOUSING COOPERABLE WITH A GUIDE TO LATERALLY GUIDE SAID ROLLER ASSEMBLY, SAID MEANS INCLUDING GUIDE ROLLERS, SHAFTS SUPPORTING SAID GUIDE ROLLERS FOR ROTATION ABOUT AXES AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE AXES OF SAID FIRST-MENTIONED ROLLERS, SAID SHAFTS BEING FREELY SLIDABLE IN APERTURES IN SAID HOUSING FOR READY ASSEMBLY AND DISASSEMBLY, AND KEEPER BARS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID HOUSING TO RELEASABLY LOCK SAID SHAFTS IN ASSEMBLED RELATION WITH SAID HOUSING, AN ARM BENEATH SAID HOUSING FOR ATTACHMENT OF ONE END THEREOF TO THE DOOR, AND MEANS PIVOTALLY ATTACHING THE OTHER END OF SAID ARM TO SAID HOUSING. 